Pitchfork attachment.



G. A. OSTERND. PITGHPORK ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED 1113.6, 1911.

1,031,958, Patented July 9, 1912.

fizz/Z2211 fl iffi Witnesses: Inventor by K .V I :4

v I v Attorneys.

COLUMBIA PLAN GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG c.

STATE% F GUSTAV A. OSTER-ND, OF OSTRANDER, MINNESOTA.

PITCHFORK ATTACHMENT.

Application filed February 6, 1911.

' combined scraper and scoop and vice versa,

the operation being accomplished without necessitating any handling of the attachment by the user, and which will adapt a pitch fork to be used for scraping or clean ing the floors of stables, barns, granaries or ware houses, or as a snow shovel for cleaning side-walks, the device being simple in construction, etlicientand durable in use, and easy to manufacture, and being held assembled with the pitch fork wholly by frictional contact with the tines thereof, thereby dispensing with the necessity of locking mechanism for the purpose, such as is usually employed in connection with shovel attachments.

ll ith the above and other objects in view, as will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction and combination of parts in an attachment for pitch forks, as will be hereinafter fully described, and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts, Figure l is a view in plan displaying a pitch fork equipped with the attachment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation showing the position of the attachment when employed asa scoop. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but displaying the attachment in section. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Figs. 2 and 3, but showing the position of the attachment when used as a scraper, and Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through the attachment, taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, F designates, generallf a pitch fork, which may be of the usual or any preferred construction and therefore needs no further description. In the fork illustrated the tines are shown as Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9,1912.

Serial No. 606,889.

flat, but it is to be understood that the attachment is equally adapted for use in connection with one having cylindrical tines and as this will readily be apparent detailed illustration thereof is therefore omitted.

The invention resides in an attachment that is designed at will to convert the fork into a combined scoop and scraper, so as to adapt it for use in shoveling snow, grain or the like, or for scraping the floors of a barn or granary.

The attachment comprises a stiff blade 1 which is made of heavy sheet metal, and has one edge 2 deflected at an angle to the plane of the blade to constitute a scoop, when the attachment is positioned as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, or a scraper when positioned as shown in Fig. 4t. Secured to one side of the blade is a keeper 3 which is constructed from a length of resilient metal of less length and width than the blade and is held assembled therewith by a plurality of rivets 4, the spaces between the rivets defining sockets 5, into which are inserted the points of the tines, and which are held assembled with the attachment wholly by frictional contact between them and the opposed walls of the blade and the sockets, it being evident that in use there will be a tendency constantly to tighten the connection between the parts, so that accidental disconnection is positively prevented. Generally, the sockets will be of a size to limit the inser tion of the tines, but to insure this feature should the sockets be too large, the points of the tines will ride against the inclined edge and thus be held from further move ment outward.

The sockets 5 are formed by corrugating the plate 3, the corrugations being prominent at the inner ends and merging to a point at the outer ends. Thus, should the points of the tines be forced outwardly the plate 3 is raised at its outer end to securely clamp the tines, and should the tines be forced outwardly to project beyond the plate 3 they will strike the deflected edge of the plate 1 and thereby bind against the same.

When the attachment is positioned as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the pitch fork may be used as a scoop and by reversing the position of the fork, it may be used as a scraper, or, as shown in Fig. 5, the position of the attachment may be reversed for the same purpose.

As stated, it is one of the objects of the invention to render it unnecessary to handle the attachment in assembling it With the tines of the fork and to secure the latter result, it Will only be necessary to place the deflected edge of the blade against a Wall or other abutment and then insert the tines into the sockets and by striking a bloW upon the edge, the attachment Will be properly positioned.

As will be obvious, the frictional contact between the parts will not be of such character as to present resistance to removal so that the detachment of the device may readily be accomplished.

The improvements herein described, While simple in character Will be found thoroughly practical for the purposes designed and Will coact in the production of a highly efiicient and useful device to be used in barns, or other places Where it Will be found available.

WVhat I claim is:

An attachment engageable with the pointed ends of the tines of a pitch fork, comprising a blade having one edge deflected at an angle to the plane of the blade, and a plate secured thereto and corrugated to form a plurality of sockets, the angled portion of said blade being so disposed With relation to the said plate as to frictionally bind the ends of the tines introduced in the said sockets.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiiXed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

GUSTAV A. OSTERND. Witnesses H. O. LARSON, LELA M. LARSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 1). C. 

